De'Unnero could hardly believe the turn of events, but he had too many problems of his own to sit and ponder them. He had no idea of where his favored gemstone might be, had not seen it in weeks, and believed that it had somehow merged with his soul. For now he was man and beast, and though he could often willfully shift from one form to the other, or to something in between, there were other times, times of anger or when he smelled prey, that the urge to fall into the form of the tiger overwhelmed him.
A pall settled over Andur'Blough Inninness later that summer, when Belli'mar Juraviel returned with news that Nightbird had fallen. Though the war had ended favorably, though Juraviel had returned to them, though the child of Nightbird and Pony was growing strong and healthy, the loss of Nightbird and Ni'estiel weighed heavily on the small and intimate family of the Touel'alfar.
The one real bright spot seemed to be the child, so full of smiles.
Juraviel and Lady Dasslerond went to the babe soon after Juraviel's return, standing over it as it lay on the shining green grass, the Lady bending low to stroke his soft cheek.
"He will grow strong and special," Dasslerond remarked, "will come to greatness beyond that of his father and his mother."
"She lives," Juraviel replied.
Dasslerond turned a firm stare on the elf. Of course she already knew about Pony, and knew, too, that Juraviel had only made the remark to hint that he believed that the child belonged with its mother. Lady Dasslerond would hear none of that, her stare reminded Juraviel. They had taken the babe as their protege, the child of Nightbird and not of Elbryan, the child of Andur'Blough Inninness, and to the elven lady, the issue was settled.
"I aided them in their escape," Juraviel admitted.
Lady Dasslerond gave a little laugh. "Do you believe that I did not know you would do as much when I allowed you to return to them?" she asked, putting her companion at ease. "You chose well on this matter."
"What of Jilseponie?" Juraviel asked. "She knows bi'nelle dasada. We cannot take that from her."
Lady Dasslerond didn't seem concerned. "Jilseponie was a fine companion to Nightbird," she replied. "The woman will not betray him by sharing that which he taught her."
Juraviel hoped the lady was right, for he knew that Dasslerond would be watching the humans more closely for a long while, and that if Pony did begin to teach the sword dance, to King's soldiers or to monks, she would be taken prisoner by the Touel'alfar.
If she was lucky, and if Dasslerond was feeling particularly compassionate.
A giggle from below turned their attention to the babe. His crooked little grin resembled that of young Elbryan when he had first come to Andur' Blough Inninness, but the child showed the same bright blue sparkles in his eyes as his mother.
Except when the elves left him alone, for then came a hint of a red fire behind those blue orbs, a trait inherited not from his mother nor his father, but planted within the child, within Pony's womb, by the demon dactyl during her first battle with Dalebert Markwart, the corporeal vessel of Bestesbulzibar.
Books by R. A. Salvatore
THE FIRST DEMONWARS SAGA
The Demon Awakens
The Demon Spirit
The Demon Apostle
THE SECOND DEMONWARS SAGA
Mortalis
Ascendance
Transcendence
Imortalis
Echoes of the Fourth Magic
The Witch’s Daughter
Bastion of Darkness
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures
Table of Contents
Contents
The Demon Awakens
Prelude
Part One - Fate
Chapter 1
The Unexpected Kill
Chapter 2
True Believer
Chapter 3
The Lingering Kiss
Chapter 4
The Death of Dundalis
Chapter 5
God’s Chosen
Chapter 6
Carrion Birds
CHAPTER 7
The Blood of Mather
CHAPTER 8
The Preparer
CHAPTER 9
Touel'alfar
Part Two - Passage
CHAPTER 10
Made of Tougher Stuff
CHAPTER 11
Cat-the-Stray
CHAPTER 12
The Windrunner
CHAPTER 13
Running Fast Down a Long, Long Road
CHAPTER 14
Jilly
CHAPTER 15
Miss Pippin
CHAPTER 16
Endwar
CHAPTER 17
Black Wings
CHAPTER 18
The Test of Faith
CHAPTER 19
Truth Be Told
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
Ever Vigilant, Ever Watchful
CHAPTER 22
The Nightbird
Part Three - Conflict
CHAPTER 23
The Black Bear
CHAPTER 24
The Mad Friar
CHAPTER 25
Brother Justice
CHAPTER 26
Bradwarden
CHAPTER 27
The Fat Prophet's Warning
CHAPTER 28
Siblings
CHAPTER 29
Of Singular Purpose
CHAPTER 30
Symphony
CHAPTER 31
Home Again, Home Again
CHAPTER 32
Darkness Rising
CHAPTER 33
The Telling Blow
CHAPTER 34
Justice
CHAPTER 35
Escape?
Part Four - The Ranger
CHAPTER 36
Confrontation
CHAPTER 37
Catch of the Day
CHAPTER 38
Mercy Repaid
CHAPTER 39
The Difference
CHAPTER 40
Nightbird the Leader
CHAPTER 41
Tempest
CHAPTER 42
Reputation
CHAPTER 43
A Place of Particular Interest
CHAPTER 44
The Revelations of Spirits
Part Five - The Beast
CHAPTER 45
Parting
CHAPTER 46
The Fiend's Fiend
CHAPTER 47
One Harmony
CHAPTER 48
Enemies Ancient
CHAPTER 49
Hunted
CHAPTER 50
Flight
CHAPTER 51
Aida
CHAPTER 52
Through the Maze
CHAPTER 53
Destiny
Epilogue
The Demon Spirit
Part One - Wilderlands
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
St.-Mere-Abelle
CHAPTER 3
Roger Lockless
CHAPTER 4
At the Gates of Paradise
CHAPTER 5
To Seek the Truth
CHAPTER 6
Underestimated
CHAPTER 7
The Long Night of Fighting
CHAPTER 8
Intervention of Conscience
CHAPTER 9
Old Friends Well Met
Part Two - The Pecking Order
CHAPTER 10
The Holiest of Places
CHAPTER 11
Roger Lockless, I Presume
CHAPTER 12
Unexpected Guests
CHAPTER 13
The New Enemy
CHAPTER 14
Right and Wrong
CHAPTER 15
Pride
CHAPTER 16
To the Father Abbot’s Amusement
CHAPTER 17
Edicts from on High
Part Three - The Demon Within
CHAPTER 18
Enemies of the Church
CHAPTER 19
Change in Direction
CHAPTER 20
Following the Bait
CHAPTER 21
In the Bowels of St.-Mere-Abelle
CHAPTER 22
Jilly
CHAPTER 23
The Other Brother Francis
CHAPTER 24
Resolution
Part Four - Down the Road of Shadows
CHAPTER 25
A Choice for Roger
CHAPTER 26
The Newest Abbot
CHAPTER 27
The Escape
CHAPTER 28
When Duty Calls
CHAPTER 29
Hungry for Battle
CHAPTER 30
In Search of Answers
CHAPTER 31
Alternate Routes
CHAPTER 32
Pony’s Nightmare
Epilogue
The Demon Apostle
Part One - The Road Home
CHAPTER 1
Passion for Life
CHAPTER 2
Jojonah's Legacy
CHAPTER 3
Private Fun
CHAPTER 4
Precautions
CHAPTER 5
A Proper Good-bye
CHAPTER 6
Sitting on the Fence
Part Two - Church and State
CHAPTER 7
Shifting Winds
CHAPTER 8
The Bishop's Initiatives
CHAPTER 9
Trailblazing
CHAPTER 10
The Humanist
CHAPTER 11
Friends in the Forest
CHAPTER 12
In Motion
CHAPTER 13
Partings and Greetings
CHAPTER 14
Grabbing at the Soul
CHAPTER 15
The Elven View of the World
Part Three - Politic
CHAPTER 16
Lessons
CHAPTER 17
A Measure of Trust
CHAPTER 18
Queen Vivian's Garden
CHAPTER 19
Allies of Choice and Necessity
CHAPTER 20
Regrets
CHAPTER 21
Destiny
Part Four - The Heart and Soul of Corona
CHAPTER 22
Seeds
CHAPTER 23
Unleashed
CHAPTER 24
The Light of Perspective
CHAPTER 25
To the North
CHAPTER 26
The Assassin
CHAPTER 27
Looking Death in the Eye
CHAPTER 28
Consequences
CHAPTER 29
The Guest of Bi'nelle Dasada
CHAPTER 30
Darkness and Light
CHAPTER 31
The House of the Holy
Part Five Mirror Image
CHAPTER 32
The Blessed Upper Hand
CHAPTER 33
Miles Apart
CHAPTER 34
One-upmanship
CHAPTER 35
The Smell of Prey
CHAPTER 36
Unwelcome Homecoming
CHAPTER 37